6 Golden Globe Winners Share Their Journeys to Stardom

Host Ricky Gervais joked that the Golden Globes are meaningless, but for these six stars, winning the award was a dream they fought hard to accomplish.

Taraji P. Henson (Best Actress in a Drama Series -- Empire): Prior to becoming a household name for her role as Cookie Lyon, Taraji was just trying to provide for her family. "I was a single mother," she told ET. "I became a mother in college and I could have easily become a statistic, but I didn't. I rose above it. I just say, don't compare yourself to other people. Stay in your lane, and have faith."

Sylvester Stallone (Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture -- Creed): While his speech pattern has become the butt of many jokes, not many know that complications from birth left him paralyzed on the left side of his face. The Rocky star admitted to ET that his trouble speaking wasn't the only adversary he faced on his way up the Hollywood ladder. He also acknowledged his past contention with Arnold Schwarzenegger. "He became such a close friend," Sly said. "We were so adversarial. You have no idea." The bad blood is behind them now and Arnold even posted a congratulatory message on Instagram.

Kate Winslet (Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture -- Steve Jobs): The British actress claimed her third Golden Globe on Sunday, but she says it never gets old. "I have been acting in films now for 23 years," she said. "I'm an old lady. I need glasses to drive my car. These moments mean a great deal."

Jon Hamm (Best Actor in a Drama Series -- Mad Men): Pacing was an important lesson for Jon to learn, as he may have been his own worst enemy earlier in his career. The actor told ET he burned himself out in the early seasons of the AMC series. "I would be depleted at the end of every season and think, 'Oh, I have nothing left,'" Jon said. "Then they're like, 'You better! You're come back next year!'"

Brie Larson (Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama -- Room): The 26-year-old actress is no overnight success -- she's been toiling away at her craft since the tender age of 9 years old. "There's a lot of 'No's and sometimes it feels like there's no reason to keep going," Larson said.

Rachel Bloom (Best Actress in a Comedy Series -- Crazy Ex-Girlfriend): Last year, the comedienne found herself struggling to make rent. "That's a testament to also me being horrible at saving money," Bloom admitted. "We made the pilot, and I used a lot of the money I got on the pilot to pay for my wedding." Bloom is married to TV writer/producer Dan Gregor.